The magnificent 17th century Château de Pampelonne borders the famous French Riviera beach of the same name in the commune of Ramatuelle, near Saint Tropez. The estate has been in the Gasquet-Pascaud family since 1840, when it was purchased by Gasquet ancestor André Folco, treasurer for Napoléon III. The current proprietor of this beautiful 400 acre domaine is Edgar Pascaud, and his daughter Marie directs Pampelonne’s winemaking. Château de Pampelonne produces an excellent red wine and a modest amount of white wine, but it is the Côtes de Provence Rosé for which the estate is best known. In addition to the classic rosé cépages of Grenache, Cinsault and Syrah, Pampelonne also uses Tibouren in the blend. This ancient Greek variety, now unique to this area of France, is valued for the aromatic intensity it lends to some of Provence’s finest rosés.
